ALLENDALE --A white guy could buy a cupcake for $2 from the College Republicans' bake sale this week at Grand Valley State University. But prices dropped dramatically for other customers, based on race and gender.

The student group was willing to let the sweet treats go for 75 cents to blacks and white women, while it charged Asians and Hispanics 50 cents. The price for American Indians? Just a nickel.

The point, said organizer Kyle Rausch, was to challenge affirmative action policies that give preference to women and minorities.

If the goal was to draw attention rather than sell cupcakes, it worked. Rausch and his group sold only one cupcake and now could face disciplinary action for the stunt.

"The idea was to bring controversy," Rausch said, adding: "We were not in any way trying to mock affirmative action. If people walked by and were offended, that was not our intention."

So far, four students have filed complaints with GVSU's Student Life Office, and a misconduct review process is under way. Several people denounced the sale during a Student Senate meeting Thursday in Grand Rapids.

The university's student code states "Every aspect of University life should be free from discrimination ..."

If a nine-member review board of staff and students determines the College Republicans crossed the line, the group could be suspended and lose university funding and the privilege to meet on campus. It received $1,625 in university funds this year.

"You can have a discussion and bring awareness, but you can't go out and discriminate to make that happen," said Bob Stoll, director of Student Life. "They had poor judgment."

Several black students have demanded an apology, but Rausch said he doesn't intend to offer one, and that he'd do it the same way if he had it to do over again.

"It's nice that it can stimulate discussion," he said.

Similar sales have occurred on college campuses throughout the country, with administrators' responses ranging from eye-rolling disregard to official censure.

Student Kim Pierson said the issue is not affirmative action, but the fact that the College Republicans "crossed a bold line" that subjected students to blatant discrimination.

The Republicans had university permission to set up a table and sell baked goods as a group fund-raiser in the Kirkhof Center on the Allendale campus Monday. However, Stoll said the university did not approve the way the students went about the sale.

"To do something this offensive is not appropriate," Stoll said.

Ashley Chaney, a Grand Rapids junior and editor of Stand UP!, a campus newsletter serving black students, said the bake sale was offensive.

"If you're against affirmative action, that's fine, but you need to be respectful of other people," Chaney said.

Rausch said the sale was a form of free speech.

"It's an academic forum, and the university is going to try to stifle that," Rausch said. "If it's OK to get a cheaper education from a taxpayer subsidy, why isn't it OK to get cheaper food?"

This is not the first time the College Republicans have sparked a campus controversy. Last year, the group sponsored a campus talk by rocker Ted Nugent that offended some people.

Greg Paulsen, executive director of the College Democrats, said Rausch's actions were a cheap stunt that does nothing to foster debate.

"This is not leadership. It's attention-getting," Paulsen said,

Grand Valley administrators have made efforts to boost minority recruitment, but say they do not give admission preference based on race. All students must be academically qualified.

"Race is never a deciding factor," said Jodi Chycinski, GVSU's director of admissions.

"The women and minorities should have gotten FREE cupcakes and Whitey should have been paying a c-note. Duh!?"

Can someone tell me what kind of college admissions advantage white women are getting these days? I know about the "women owned business" nonsense, but don't have the impression that colleges are lowering admissions standards for women like they are for blacks, hispanics, and other ethinic minorities (except asians; we can discriminate against them, apparently, because they are a successful minority group.)

48
posted on 03/25/2005 11:03:44 AM PST
by Altamira
(Get the UN out of the US, and the US out of the UN!)

"You can have a discussion and bring awareness, but you can't go out and discriminate to make that happen," said Bob Stoll, director of Student Life. "They had poor judgment."

Several black students have demanded an apology,

For getting a discount? The head of the College GOP needs to be more strident on this matter, and say he is doing nothing different than the University does with admissions. And if they want HIM to stop THEY should stop handing out admissions andscholarships along the same racial and gender lines.

This time, they should give away car washes (for free) to whites maybe two, three... hell four weeks ahead of time. Oh and when Native Americans come to pay for their wash ...take their money then beat the hell out of 'em and send them on their way. Now that makes perfect sense...reveal the true reality of this thing.

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